The present invention relates to an improved corrosion protection system that incorporates selected corrosion inhibitors, blended with water dispersants and dissolved in a biodegradable solvent. Effective for a wide range of refined hydrocarbons, crude and oil/water combinations the system forms an effective corrosion-inhibiting barrier for both ferrous and non-ferrous metals in the presence of water, halogens and corrosive gasses such as dissolved oxygen, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide.
Continuing protection between individual treatment operations is assured due to solubility, dispersibility in crude water mixtures, and the long-term water displacing film formation. The product also provides vapor phase inhibition to protect areas which are inaccessible through direct solution contact. This unique characteristic protects internal parts during low fluid levels and combats atmospheric corrosion in production and storage tanks. Crude oil processing equipment, pipes and pipelines, refinery equipment and systems can be effectively protected against pitting, corrosive gases and water intrusions. Field test applications performed by independent laboratories verify that tests indicate that products pursuant to the invention are highly effective at a concentration level as low as 5-15 ppm. This system will find good acceptance as the use of a biodegradable solvent such as the methyl ester of soya fatty acid provides a much more environmentally friendly system.
A recent article in Materials Performance, a technical journal published by the NACE (National Association of Corrosion Engineering) stated while industry and suppliers had made progress in improving green inhibitors the industry must contend with a number of technical issues related to effectiveness and regulatory issues that vary from region to region.
The development of xe2x80x9cgreenxe2x80x9d inhibitors are in direct response to several different standards that have been established in regions of the world and the UK focused on a system callled (OCNS) a notification system. Other countries of the North Sea region have selected a system that also included risk management called CHARM.
As a result of conflicting systems or the lack of one a xe2x80x9cgreenxe2x80x9d inhibitor may have different shades of green.
The North Sea group has the best-defined regulations as follows:
"xgr" Biodegradability:  greater than 60% in 28 days
"xgr" Marine toxicity: Effective Concentration, 50% (EC50)/Lethal Concentration, 50%(LC50) greater than 10 mg/L to North Sea species
"xgr" Bioaccumulation: Log Octanol/Water Partition Coefficient (Pow) less than 3.
This new system provides a method and process including addition of a biodegradable corrosion inhibiting system without the extreme care needed in handling conventional mineral oil systems in environmentally protected areas. The criteria that operators must follow in the North Sea (UK, Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands) are very definite and this new inhibitor system dissolved in the methyl ester of soya fatty acid meets all of the specifications. Fatty acid triglycerides such as soy bean oil, canola oil, linseed oil or other glycerides could also be the carrier and need only viscosity or formulation adjustments to provide corrosion inhibitor systems.